Tulips

The Tulip.  


Everyone thinks of spring when they see a tulip or at least of Holland.  However, I was just reading that the tulip is an original of the Ottoman Empire - so it is Persian!  In Persian it is lâleh  or Lale.  Tulip is nicer I think.  Lale became tulipa, tulipant (sounds like an elephant....!) and finally the French straightened out the name as tulipe (pronounced 'too leap').  Ultimately the name tulip is thought to be from Persian words tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze") and dulband ("turban"). Hmm.  


Living in Washington State for so long, I used to think as a little girl that the Tulalip tribe was named after tulips. 


What does all this have to do with Le Puy?  Just excited to see those first beautiful turbans, er buds of tulips appearing in the gardens.